And from Newark ****

the bad news keeps coming:

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) _ New Jersey's largest newspaper is planning to close one of its two printing plants and eliminate some jobs.

The Star-Ledger of Newark reported that employees were told Monday the newspaper plans to close one plant in early May. The paper has not decided whether to close its plant in Piscataway or another in Montville.

The paper, owned by privately held Advance Publications, notified 365 union workers at the plants it's possible they will be laid off, it reported. The two plants employ about 600 full- and part-time workers.

Publisher George Arwady told the newspaper it was not clear if all the workers who received notices would be laid off. "We hope to reach an agreement with the unions over the next 60 days that could lessen the impact on their members," he said.

The announcement was not a total surprise: Plant employees were told in December that the company would be seeking economic relief. It is negotiating with some of the affected unions, the newspaper reported.

In a separate note to employees, Arwady said the newspaper has been losing money for several years.

"We have to save money by cutting our costs," he told The Star-Ledger. "Revenues are falling."

Advance Publications, based on Staten Island, owns 25 daily newspapers in nine states, several weeklies and the magazine publisher Conde Nast. It is a dominant player in the newspaper industry in New Jersey, where it also operates The Times of Trenton, Jersey Journal, Gloucester County Times, Today's Sunbeam and Bridgeton News.